-- Sony launched a device called the PlayStation Vita TV in Japan late last year. Its a pocket-sized box that lets you stream video games from your PlayStation 4 in one room to a TV in another. You can also use it to stream video from internet sites such as Hulu Plus.

Now Sony is bringing the box to the United States and Canada where it will be sold for $99 and branded as the PlayStation TV.

While the PlayStation TV is a companion to the PS4 game console, you might be able to justify picking one up even if you dont have a PS4.

At $99, its about the same price as an Amazon Fire TV or a Roku 3 media streaming device, and itll offer similar functionality. But you can also use it with the upcoming PlayStation Now service which will let you stream games to your TV over the internet without downloading and installing them on a local device first.

In other words, you should be able to play at least a few console-quality games on this $99 box, rather than the Android-style games you get on a Fire TV or Ouya micro-console. Itll also support select PS Vita, PS One, and PSP games. All told, there should be about 1000 games available for the PlayStation TV.

While the box itself will sell for $99, Sony will also offer a $139 bundle which includes a game controller, 8GB storage card, HDMI cable, and a copy of the LEgo Movie Video game.

Sony will also launch the PS TV in Europe this year for 99 and Australia for $150 AUD.

PS TV sounds pretty good and you're right, no chance now that Sony is on board with Android TV or whatever it will be called. Being able to use a PS3 controller, if that is true, makes it better than some other options.

Unfortunately the Vita doesn't have a 1080p screen to deal with and because of it, this box doesn't support 1080p video. It also won't be able to fully support Vita games that use the Vita's cameras, touchpad, or touch screen.

It's an interesting approach that may find a niche, but it doesn't exactly compete well with streaming boxes or consoles.

I don't see why a gamer wouldn't minimally spend another $50 and buy a refurbished PS3. Not only do you get a far more capable streaming box with a Blu-Ray player, but you can also just play those acclaimed games like "Last of Us" directly without any additional lag or rental fees.

I still think Vita TV is a niche product at best.

Fire TV is a legit streaming box that also appeals to Prime subscribers that can also offer some cheap games.

-- The PlayStation TV set-top box will make its US debut on October 14th, Sony announced today. The hardware itself is priced at $99.99, but Sony is also offering a bundle that packs in a DualShock 3 controller, 8GB memory card, and The Lego Movie Videogame. Known as PS Vita TV elsewhere in the world, Sony's little box allows owners to play a selection of Vita (both physical and digital) games and buy older PS One and PlayStation Portable games. It can also stream PlayStation 3 titles through PlayStation Now, the company's game streaming service, and offers PS4 users a super convenient way of playing their games in another room through the system's Remote Play feature.

The market for this box in the US is going to be very small, PS Vita enthusiasts that would like to play some of their games on a big screen TV. I can't see it appealing to anybody else.

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I would add PS4 owners who'd like to play a PS4 game on a different TV around the house, or potentially even away from the house. PS Now is another possibility, that is assuming there's actually a market for people who want to rent and stream games.

The issues with getting content owners signed up for a streaming box like this are mind-blowing.